One Couple’s Hassle-Filled Bid to Build a Miami ‘Fortress’

Rupert and Katherine Hucker’s $7 million home in Coconut Grove, Fla., was built to withstand hurricanes and storm surges. The biggest challenge was the construction itself.

The most stress came when city inspectors determined the water pipes servicing the roughly 18 homes around the property lacked adequate water pressure for a fire hydrant. The Huckers, deemed developers since the land had never been occupied, had to upgrade the water pipes for the neighborhood and ensure the water was potable, an unexpected outlay that, along with rebuilding a portion of the road, came to around $250,000.